EAST ST. LOUIS - A spokesperson for Chief District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel said the court "enthusiastically" welcomes the addition of two new district judges at the Southern District of Illinois - Stephen McGlynn and David Dugan.
The U.S. Senate on Sept. 16 confirmed the two, who were nominated by President Trump in December 2019. McGlynn and Dugan replace district judges David Herndon and Michael Reagan who retired in early 2019.
Clerk of the court and counsel to Rosenstengel, Meg Robertie, said that after 18 months at half-staff the court is "enthused" and anxious for the new judges get up to speed after they select staff and complete administrative tasks.
Rosenstengel and District Judge Staci Yandle, who presides in Benton, had shouldered the entire SDIL caseload for about a year - with some assistance from Senior District Judge Phil Gilbert - when magistrate judges were called on for help.
In November 2019, Rosenstengel signed an order providing that, as long as parties to civil litigation consented, Magistrates Reona Daly, Mark Beatty, and Gilbert Sison could take charge of civil cases, in which they would normally perform a secondary role.
Also this week, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft welcomed McGlynn and Dugan to their lifetime appointments to the federal bench in East St. Louis.
“On behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, it is my honor to extend a warm welcome to Judge McGlynn and Judge Dugan as they begin their federal judicial careers here in the Southern District of Illinois,” Weinhoeft said in a statement on Sept. 30.
“They are joining a court with a long tradition of well respected, dedicated, and fair-minded jurists, including their predecessors Judge Michael Reagan and Judge David Herndon. And we have no doubt that the court’s newest members will help carry that tradition forward for many more years to come.
“Judge McGlynn and Judge Dugan are also joining a court that will be very glad to receive them. For the past 18 months, despite their already demanding caseloads, the two veteran district judges and one senior district judge have had to absorb a significant amount of extra work, all while navigating the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and a global pandemic. And so we also extend our gratitude and recognition to the entire courthouse family for weathering that storm and continuing to dispense justice while these two positions were vacant.”
Weinhoeft also thanked the Democratic Senate delegation - Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth - and a Republican congressional delegation - Reps. John Shimkus and Mike Bost - for working together and with the White House, to bring a full complement of judges back to the Southern District of Illinois.
“At a time when political fights dominate the headlines, it is good to see government function effectively by adding two wellqualified and experienced judges, to bring our court back to full strength," he stated. "That is certainly something to celebrate.”